Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/93285
COMMUNITY RELATIONS relationship with local fire departments. "MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) rules say that you have to have an infrastructure of local help in case of emergencies or accidents," he says. "EMS is usually tied to the fire department's mission, so as a matter of course, we deal with them and get to know the captains and fire fighters. We observed that most of these guys are volunteers, not paid participants, so we thought the turkeys were a nice way to say thanks for their help and for volunteering." Fire departments also benefit from proceeds raised at what may be Silvi's most popular community event, its annual motor bike races. Twice a year, in the summer and fall, the company hosts the races at its Eagles Lake Reserve operation. With thou- sands in attendance, each race raises approximately $5,000, and the Eagleswood Volunteer Fire Department and the Eagleswood Township Recreation Fund receive the gate sales. In addition to inviting the public onto its property for the bike races, Silvi also participates in a number of local events such as Eagleswood Township's fall festival and Stafford Township's community day. Patankar says that the company has equipment on display at these events, as well as staff on hand to talk to partic- ipants. "Kids love to climb up and down on loaders and concrete trucks and sound the horn," he says. "As long as there is a driver there keeping track of the safety of the kids and the kids don't fool around with the equipment, it works out well." To draw people into its equipment display, instant photos are taken of the kids on the equipment, printed on site, and given to the kids before they leave. "That creates a buzz at any event we're participating in," Patankar says. "It's how we attract some young crowds." The community events not only provide positive interaction with area families, they also are often attended by local leaders. Elected officials often see these events as an opportunity to be visible among their constituents, and that can lead to informal conversations that help build relationships between the mine and community leaders. Expanding relationships As it entered the hard rock mining business with its 2009 acquisi- tion of Gibraltar Rock, Silvi started to grow its relationships with its new neighbors through a series of interactions. The first began shortly after the acquisition, when a local scout leader approached the operation about allowing a small group of Webelo scouts to visit the site as part of their effort to earn their geology badge. The Belle Mead quarry has hosted dozens of Webelo scouts as part of their quest to earn a geology badge. AGGREGATES MANAGER October 2012 13 Twice a year, Silvi Group hosts motor bike races on its sites. Proceeds benefit the local fire department and township recreational fund. "We took it as a great opportunity to get to know the commu- nity and let the community know us," Patankar says. "The focus is on the boys, who are 8 to 12 years old, but they are always ac- companied by parents, who we certainly want to reach." During one- to two-hour tours, the quarry manager, the min- ing director, and Patankar meet the scouts at the scale house parking lot and arrange tours for them and their parents via a series of SUVs. Some basic safety training is provided before the troop tours the quarry, processing area, and stockpiles. "We let them take samples of the rock and ask questions. They are very inquisitive about how the rock is mined. They always use the word 'dynamite,' and we have to tell them, 'no, we don't use dynamite,'" he says. "It's good for us and the community. In the last three years, we've hosted 60 to 75 scouts and twice that number of parents." In another outreach effort, company representatives — includ- ing Patankar — joined the Rotary Club of Montgomery and began to attend meetings there. The bulk of the organization's funding for community assistance activities is generated through an annual event called Run with the Rotary. The company has grown its support of that event over the last three years. Initially,